Wooden decking turns a patch of bare lawn, a sloping garden or a tired stoep into a place to sit, braai and watch the sun go down. In South Africa most decks are built from treated pine, with balau and garapa for owners who want a hardwood that lasts longer and weathers to a silvery grey if left alone. Send one request with your measurements and the timber you prefer, and deck builders and timber merchants in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Which timber should the deck be made from?
The timber decides the price, the upkeep and how long the deck lasts:
- Treated pine: the budget choice. Boards should be treated to H3 for use above ground, and posts set in the ground need H4. Pine is softer, so it dents and splinters sooner.
- Balau: a dense, heavy hardwood that resists rot and insects. Pre-drill every screw hole, because the boards are hard.
- Garapa: a golden hardwood that is a little easier to work than balau and weathers well.
Ask the builder to name the timber and the treatment on the quote. For a pool surround, read pool decking, and for a board that needs no oiling, see composite decking.
How a deck is built so it lasts
A deck is only as good as the frame under it. Joists are normally spaced at about 400 mm centres for boards of 19 to 32 mm thickness, closer for thin boards and for decks that carry heavy pots or a hot tub. Joists sit on concrete pads or treated posts, never directly on soil, and should stay clear of damp ground.
Boards are fixed with stainless steel screws, with a gap of about 5 mm so water runs off and the timber can swell in wet weather. Cut ends should be sealed. A deck on a slope or against the house needs a fall away from the wall and enough airflow underneath, or the frame stays wet and rots.
Oiling and aftercare
Timber outdoors fades and dries out in the African sun. Plan to clean and oil the deck once or twice a year: once is enough in a shady garden, twice suits a deck in full sun or on the coast. Sweep, scrub with a deck cleaner, let it dry, then brush on a penetrating deck oil. Oiled boards keep their colour and resist cracks. Leave them unoiled and they turn silver grey, which many owners like. Either way, keep leaves out of the gaps and lift pots now and then so water does not sit under them.
Comparing deck quotes
Send each builder the length and width of the deck, its height above the ground, the timber you want and whether you need steps or a balustrade. Ask them to state the board size, the joist size and spacing, the post treatment, the screws, the finish and whether the old deck or paving is removed. Prices run about R950 to R1,300 per m² for pine fitted and R3,800 to R4,500 per m² for balau, so a price far below that range usually means thin boards or wide joist spacing. A site visit is worth it before a final figure.
What to include in your request
- Deck length and width in metres
- Height above the ground and any slope
- Timber: treated pine, balau or garapa
- Steps, balustrade or built-in seating
- Your suburb and the access for materials
Wooden Decking for different clients
- Homeowners: a timber deck off the lounge or stoep for braais, pots and sundowners
- Flats and townhouses: a balcony or ground floor patio deck that suits the body corporate's rules
- Builders, developers and renovators: decks priced per square metre and built once the garden levels are set
- Landlords and letting agents: a durable pine deck that adds usable outdoor space without heavy upkeep
- Offices, practices and showrooms: a staff terrace or entrance deck built from hardwood to take daily foot traffic
- Guesthouses, lodges and restaurants: lodge and guesthouse decks with balau boards for breakfast tables and loungers
- Shops, salons and cafés: a deck for a cafe or nursery seating area that resists weather and traffic
- Schools, halls, gyms and studios: school and church decks built with close joist spacing for heavy foot traffic
Frequently asked questions
Do you build wooden decks?
How long does a wooden deck last in South Africa?
Can a deck be built on a slope or over old paving?
Do I need to oil a hardwood deck?
Wooden Decking by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg